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Finding the correct golf ball, after testing 5. Neel help and suggestions

SuperStroke
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Miander

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hi, first post here,
i decided to conduct my own test, to actually see what balls I liked. I have a swing speed of around 105 mph and a ball speed of around 150 mph, With A R11 TP Driver 9 degree, Diamana kai'li 70gm shaft, and G15 Reg, Black Dot Irons with a Taylormade Corsa Ghost putter, at 31 inches. I play off 20, but that's only due to my, lack of putting skills and inconsistency, I know I should be shooting in the low 80s, if I could just get to practise more. I have been working hard on my putting and very rarely now 3 putt.

I used 5 balls, over 5 holes on my local course. Took the afternoon off to play.

Balls
Callaway Big Bertha Diablo
Srixon Z Star
Srixon AD333
Nike One Tour
Nike SFT

I was totally amazed on how different each of the balls performed on what can only be explained as totally unscientific, but has answered some questions and caused even more. I tried to rank the balls over

Driving / Long Iron
Pitching/High Iron 130 – 160 yrds
Pitching <100 yrds
And putting

I have put them, in what I think performed better to worse.


Driving
  • Nike One Tour (long and straight) very little side spin.
  • SFT, longer than the One Tour, but more of a bullet.
  • Srixon AD333: not as far as the One Tour, and for some reason, always pushed straight right. Which in my case was always in the rough
  • Callaway BBD: good distance, but tended to differ every shot, about as far as the AD333, you could see my draw in this ball.
  • Srixon Z Star: the least amount of distance, but generated a lot of side spin, my draw turned into a hook, every time.
Irons: pw / 9 iron.

  • Nike One Tour: Clicky, but did well from the hard ground. Landed and stopped
  • Srixon Z Star: fizzed in the air, but my draw came into play
  • Srixon AD333: a slight fade come from somewhere, and I missed the green to the right
  • Callaway BBD : out the back of the green.. it just feel like I got way more contact.
  • SFT: nice, landed on the green, trickled off. Every time, quite a consistent performer really. I actually really like it but.. not for putting

Pitching <100 yrds 50 Deg wedge.

  • Nike One Tour: Generated backspin, jumped back about 4 feet
  • Srixon Z Star: Stopped dead. With a small hop forward
  • Callaway BBD / SFT: Landed and ran forward 5-6 feet
  • Srixon AD333: this ball landed and rolled off the back of the green

Putting

  • Srixon Z Star: I Just couldn't miss, generating true end over end roll, and rolled in 2 birdy puts! I loved it
  • Callaway BBD: Great ball, but I was used to this on the green, the soft feel is just right
  • Srixon AD333: always short. Didn't get on with it
  • Nike One Tour: explodes off the face, I left the ball a few feet past the hole
  • SFT: explodes off the face, I left the ball a few feet past the hole, but it reacted a lot like the One tour, but the sound isn't the best

I was amazed at the results and now If anyone can help me find a ball, that fly's like a Nike One Tour off the tee , but putts like a Srixon Z star, then I'm laughing.

Help / suggestions appreciated.


Thanks

Brian
 
I like what you have done and I do many tests on my own, but at the same time, with todays equipment & monitors, I would recommend a real live fitting so you can see some numbers. A ball fitting was the best thing I ever took the time to do. The right ball is just as important as the right clubs and shafts.
 
HoosierGolfer said:
The right ball is just as important as the right clubs and shafts.
Click to expand...

I didnt use to think this, and now i do. finding a ball fitting in the UK, i fear could be difficult.
 
Great 1st post Miander, welcome to THP. I echo HG, get a ball fitting for yourself, you won't regret it.
 
welcome! there are so many different ball optins out there now that one almost has to do a fitting to find their ball. Finding it by chance is just dumb luck
 
Welcome to THP, very insightful for your 1st post. I'm not sure about the UK but in the states, several of the major golf chain stores offer ball fittings.
 
Is cost an issue? Some of those balls can run $3-4 per ball. To me, this is an issue. I used to play Z Stars and after going through 6, almost 7 dozen balls last year (they are not durable) I got fed up. Check out Bridgestone's and Srixon's online fitting tools. They can at least rule some balls out for you. Also, Bridgestone's live online support is wonderful.

edit: Bstone online support, not telephone
 
Coming back to the game this year I decided to keep an open mind about balls and for the last couple of months I've tried a variety of balls.
I normally play a ProV but I've tried Bridgestone's, Callaway's, Nike and even a Noodle and given them all a fair chance while mixing in an occasional ProV just for comparison and I always end up liking the ProV more than the others.
So I've decided not to fix what apparently wasn't broken and I've gone back to the ProV for good.

The ProV may not be the longest, or "spinniest" or even the softest ball out there, but for me, I just love the way it feels and the way it plays and it's still the one ball I feel most comfortable using.
This may not have been the most scientific way of doing things and perhaps there's a computer out there that might tell me there's a better ball for me but as far as I'm concerned, the ProV works best where it counts and that's good enough for me. :thumb:
 
Get fitted! Thats so important from driver to ball.
 
Miander said:
If anyone can help me find a ball, that fly's like a Nike One Tour off the tee , but putts like a Srixon Z star, then I'm laughing.
Click to expand...

Don't most fitters find you a ball for around the greens first, then adjust your driver for that ball? If so you may be looking at using the Z stars and reshafting or changing your driver.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
 
Thanks for the feedback chaps.
Im going to look up fittings, and give the Srixon and Bridgestone online fittings a go.

As for my driver, i have recently been fitted for it, and i cannot afford to replce it just yet... apart from the fact the wife will kill me.
I was fitted for a R11 TP Stiff 80 Diamana ka'lili 9 deg set to 8 N.

I love it.. i was 25 yards further with it than the D2, with around a 260 carry.

the Prov1x has been mentioned, i just didnt want to get into that terratory.. as i know they cost so much..

its knowing a ball between the one Tour / Z star. I like the sounds of the q star but its said that it wont be out in the UK until Jan 2012 if at all.. we will have to see.
 
Perhaps something like the Wilson Staff FG Tour? Its their "premium" ball with a 3 piece construction and was a Golf Digest Gold Medalist I believe. Give it a shot I know many people seem to like it...

BulldogsGolf
 
Looks like the one tour from the sample set you used is the best for you. Along those lines I would look at the one tour d, little less spin off the driver compared to the one tour and can be found cheap.


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